Dirt loader



P 1949. A. K. GREENWAY 2,467,029

DIRT LOADER Filed April 16, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l April 1949. A. K.GREENWAY 2,467,029

DIRT LOADER Filed April 16, 194": 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 LLI Kaufman 339 April12, 1949. A. K. GREENWAY DIRT LOADER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 16,1947 .WMIQ' Patented A r. 12, 1949 DIRT LOADER AustinKenneth Greenway,Port Coqultlani,

' British Columbia; Canada Application 13m! 16, 1947, Serial No. 741,795In anada April 16, 1946 My invention relates to dirt loaders, moreparticularly having reference to a loader for rnount ingonatractor.

In the art to which the invention relatesidirt loaders for tractors moreusually employ a bucket mounted on a pair of arms pivoted on .thetractor and driven from the tractor. For this considerable power isrequired to elevate the loaded bucket the required height to clear thetractor, particularly in the early part of the lifting movement.Additionally such a loader requires to be operated from the front of thetractor which means balancing the loaded bucket against the lighter endof the tractor.

The present invention contemplates improvements in dirt loaders byprovision of a rotating carriage mounted for travel on a track andcarrying the loading bucket, by which less power is required forelevation of the bucket and also the bucket may operate from the rear ofthe machine and thus will balance against the heavy or engine end of thetractor.

One of the objects of the invention is accordingly to provide a dirtloader for tractors employing a carriage travelling on a track andcarrying a bucket, and adapted on partial rotation of the carriage toelevate and discharge a load from the bucket.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved meansconstraining the carriage for travel on the tracks. 1

A still further object of the invention is to provide novel andeffective driving means for the carriage operating from the tractor as asource of power.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a carriage incarriage is eccentric to the axis of the carriage.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent byreference to the accompanying description taken in conjunction with thedrawings wherein like characters of reference indicate like partsthroughout the several views and wherein- Fig. 1 is a side view of thedevice assembled and shown with the bucket at rest ready for a loadingoperation.

Fig. 2 is a front end view of the device shown with the bucket elevatedin the discharging operation.

Fig. 3 is a detail fragment showing the forward mounting for a rail.

Fig. 4 is a detail side view showing a fragment of rail and mounting andincluding a fragment of the supporting standard for the, chute.

which power for driving theproviding integral curved '7 Claims. (Cl.214-148) Fig. 5 is a rear end view of the device assein- I bled and withthe bucket lowered in position to oad.

v Fig. 6 is a plan view of a rail for partly broken away.

' Fig. 7 is a detail view showing a fragment of the bench plate and therail end, and including a fragment of the supporting rail for theprotective c'over.

Having reference to the drawings the device is designed to be mounted ona conventional type of tractor as shown, but since the tractor framemust vary the loader has only beenshown in relation to the tractor.

The loader provides two side rails I and 2 to be carried by the tractorspaced apart. Each rail includes a rail proper for travel of the tractorwheel, as more clearly observed by reference to Figure 6, and a flange 3on the inside of the rail secured thereto and forming a guide for thecarriage constraining cables.

The railsl and 2 are supported at the forward end of the tractor by abracket 4, (see particularly Figures 1 and 3) this bracket being securedto the tractor frame. The upper. ends of the bracket 4 are shaped, as at5; to provide seats for the rails l and 2. Additionally standards 6 areprovided for support of the delivery chute I, the chute attaching to thestandards by plates as at 8. The lower ends of the standards providetails 9 bolted to the bracket 4 and upstandin lugs l0 that combine withthe rail seats v5 and through which, and said seats and rails, are boltsll (Fig. 3). I

Rearwardly of the tractor the rails l and 2 are supported by a benchplate I2, (Figures 5 and '7) said plate being shaped at the ends toprovide seats 13 for the rails l and 2. The plate l2 further carriesstandards It for supporting the protecting cover l5 for the tractor,these standards portions l6, Figure 1, shaped to conform to the pathoftravel of the dirt carrying bucket as hereinafter described.

For travel on the rails I and 2 is a carriage formed of wheels l1 and I8spaced apart; These wheels include annular driving flanges l9 eccentricto the axis of the wheels.

To these flanges are attached arms 20 that carry the dirt loading bucket2| which forms the connecting link for the wheels to make of themaunitary structure travelling on the rails l and 2. The bucket 2| is ofconventional design, the

plate l2 having wear plates 22 "against which the bucket comes to rest.

the carriage,

with different types the mounting for For driving the carriage, cables23 are provided, one to each wheel I! and I8. The cables 23 are trainedover the flanges l9 and are driven from pulley wheels 24 on a shaft 25driven by a chain connection 26 from a power take-oil? shaft 21 of thetractor, the shaft being supported rotatable in bearing brackets 28 onthe rails I and 2. The cables 23 are further trained over idler sheaves28 and 30 on the rails l and 2. The cables are anchored to the annularflanges is by bolts 3|.

For constraining the wheels I! and I 8 for travel on the rails I providecables 32, one to each wheel. These cables are forwardly fixed to therails by bracket members 33 including springs 34 for maintaining thetension of the cables. The cables then pass once around annular groovedflanges 35 on the wheels and are rearwardly secured in bracket members36 on the rails and include springs 31 for maintaining the tension ofthe cables. The cables are further anchored to the wheels I! and I8 bybolts, as at 38.

The protective cover i5 is of sheet metal and forms a shield for thetractor and over which the bucket 2] travels to deliver dirt to thedischarge chute I, this cover and chute mounting on the members [6 andbeing intermediately supported by standards 39.

In the operation of the machine, with the bucket loaded, the carriage iscaused to travel on the rails l and 2 by the cables 23, the eccentricflanges l9 regulating the travel of the carriage. The carriage wheelsare outside the members IS with the bucket travelling over said membersto deliver the dirt.

By means of the cables 32 the carriage is con strained for travel on therails I and 2. By mounting the bucket 2| on the rear of the tractor theweight of the bucket is balanced by the engine weight. The movement ofthe carriage ensures travel of the bucket with a minimum expenditure ofpower.

While I have herein disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention itis obvious that changes in the construction and arrangement of parts andelements would be permissible, and in so far as such changes come withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claimsthey would be considered a part hereof.

What I claim and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dirt loader for tractors, a track for mounting on the tractor,said track providing spaced rails, a carriage comprising spaced wheelsadapted for travel on the rails and a bucket carried thereby fixed tothe wheels, the carriage wheel rims providing grooved flanges, a cablefor each of said wheels constraining the carriage for travel on thetracks, said cables having their ends fixed at opposite ends of thetrack with the cables trained on and wholly encircling the carriagewheels, and means for driving the carriage, said driving means beingconnectable to the tractor as a source of power.

2. A dirt loader comprising a, frame for mounting on a tractor, saidframe providing spaced rails, a carriage including wheels adapted fortravel on the rails, said wheels providing grooved annular flanges, saidcarriage including a loading bucket fixed thereto, cable means anchoredto the frame and carriage constraining the carriage for travel on therails, said cables being trained on and wholly encircling the carriagewheels, a. chute receiving material from the bucket 4 in the dischargingoperation, and driving means for the carriage comprising grooved annularflanges on the carriage. a power take-ofi on the tractor includingpulley wheels, and cables forming the driving connection between saidpulley wheels and grooved flanges.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein the grooved annular flangesare eccentric to the axis of the carriage and the driving cables areanchored thereto.

4. A dirt loader for tractors as defined in claim 2 wherein the carriagecomprises spaced wheels and including arms on the flanges by which theloading bucket is carried fixed thereto, said flanges being eccentric tothe axis of said wheels.

5. A loader for tractors comprising a frame providing spaced paralleltracks, said tracks being curved in their forward part to provide anelevation, a carriage for travel on the tracks comprising spaced wheelsand a bucket carried by the wheels fixed thereto, said wheels includinggrooved annular flanges and further providing annular driving flangesfixed to the wheels eccentric to the axis thereof, cables constrainingthe carriage for travel on the tracks, said cables having their endsfixed at opposite ends of the tracks and being trained on and whollyencircling the grooved annular flanges of the carriage wheels andincluding means securing-the cables to said wheels, a power take-ofifrom the tractor, cables forming the driving connection between thepower take-ofi and carriage through the driving flanges of the carriagewheels, means anchoring the driving cables to the carriage, and adischarge chute into which material from the bucket is delivered.

6. A dirt loader for tractors comprising a track providing rails, meansmounting the rails on the tractor spaced apart, a pair of wheelsrotatable on the rails, cable means constraining the wheels for travelon the rails, further cable means for driving the wheels, a powertake-off from the tractor for the cable driving means, a bucket carriedby the wheels, a slideway on the tractor over which the bucket travelsin a discharging operation and a delivery chute receiving material fromthe bucket.

7. A dirt loader for tractors comprising a track, means mounting thetrack on a tractor, a carriage mounted for travel on the track, saidcarriage comprising a pair of wheels rotatable on the rails and a bucketcarried thereby, means individually constraining the carriage wheels fortravel on the track, means for moving the carriage on the track, saidmoving means being connectable to be driven from the tractor, a deliverychute receiving material from the bucket and a protective cover for thetractor over which the bucket travels.

AUSTIN KENNETH GREENWAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,100,241 Hester June 16, 19141,787,716 Beckwith Jan. 6, 1931 2,231,484 Stoltz Feb. 11, 1941 2,323,404Kuchar July 6, 1943 2,398,859 Ruddock Apr. 23, 1946 2,438,660 GarnerMar. 30, 1948

